It is such an exhibition of the facts that 'orthodoxy' would smother

with pious warnings.  It is such Berean-like spirit that orthodoxy fears.

Orthodoxy has put many a saint of God to death, and those whose

opinions we have cited would necessarily be obliged to class Tyndale among

the heretics, for he says:

'I marvel that Paul did not comfort the Thessalonians with that

doctrine if he had wist it, that the souls of their dead had been in

joy; as he did with the resurrection that their dead should rise again.

If the souls be in heaven in as great glory as the angels, show me what

cause should be of the resurrection' (Tyndale).

Inasmuch as both the A.V. and the R.V., together with all translations

and versions since the days of Tyndale, bear the impress of that man of God,

the 'orthodox' would be well advised to warn any but those who are 'grounded

in the faith' against reading the English Bible at all!

May the Lord ever keep us free from the blinding power of tradition,

and ever lead us in our intentions to base all our doctrine squarely upon

what is 'written', leaving 'orthodoxy' to its inglorious emulation of the

Scribes and Pharisees who made void the Word of God that they might keep the

tradition of the elders.  The question arises upon examination of some of the

occurrences of this figure of sleep, as to whether death in its widest sense

is thus denominated, or whether 'sleep' is reserved for those who die in the

faith.  If such a question be mooted, the rejoinder usually includes the many

references in the Old Testament to men, ostensibly unbelievers, and some very

wicked indeed, who nevertheless at death are said to 'sleep with their

fathers'.  Let us, therefore, in a truly Berean spirit consider this matter,

for there are serious consequences to any conclusion to which we may come.

Moses is the first concerning whom it is written 'Thou shalt sleep with

thy fathers' (Deut. 31:16).  Moses was a believer, and consequently this one

reference is evidence that the term can be used of the redeemed.  That it

does not mean actual sepulchre is evident by the testimony of Deuteronomy,

for the last chapter reveals that the Lord buried Moses in the land of Moab,

'but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day', so the term 'fathers'

must not be unduly pressed.

The next who was told that he would sleep with his fathers, was David

(2 Sam. 7:12), and in 1 Kings 2:10 we have the record, 'And David slept with

his fathers, and was buried in the city of David'.  We find, however, that

this same term is used of such evil men as Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Abijam, Baasha

and other similar characters; these also are said to sleep with their fathers

upon their decease, just in the same way and expressed in the same language

as of Moses, David, Solomon and Hezekiah.  Consider Baasha for example.  He,

like Moses, slept with his fathers, but it is written:

'Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that

dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat' (1 Kings

because this man followed in the evil ways of Jeroboam.  It is time,

therefore, to consult the original and to discover what Hebrew word is

translated 'sleep'.  That word is shakab, the primary meaning of which is 'to

lie down', by which it is translated over 100 times.  In common usage it may

be preparatory to sleep, but the actual act and fact of sleep is not inherent